Croke Park was being readied on Friday afternoon for the weekend’s Leinster SHC and McDonagh Cup finals. Nothing new in that for June, certainly, but there was a noticeably different atmosphere around the stadium. The focus of attention was Level 5 of the Hogan Stand and specifically on the Hogan Suite, the ground’s biggest room – the one stormed by anti-Allianz protesters during GAA Congress in January. By 2pm it was packed with media, influencers and curious Croker staff for what was described in the invite as a “major press conference”. Everyone knew what was coming.
Moments later, the key figures in a long-running sporting saga took their places at the top table. For a time, it seemed this story might never reach its desired conclusion. Even Katie Taylor had given up. Four years of trying to will a Croke Park homecoming into existence hadn’t been enough, not even for the woman who persuaded the IOC to include women’s boxing at the Olympic Games.
“Three, four months ago, we sat in a restaurant and Katie Taylor told me she’s done, that’s the end of her career,” said her promoter, Eddie Hearn. “A month later she phoned her manager Brian Peters and said, ‘I can’t go until this happens. Please make it happen.’”
Suddenly, here she was, back at another top table and discussing her next fight as her mother, Bridget, and other family members watched on. Taylor was in the right place at the right time, with the chance to become a three-time undisputed champion. “I’ve had plenty of doubts over the last few months,” Taylor confided after the globally streamed press conference had ended. “I doubted whether this fight was going to happen and if I was ever going to step into the ring again.
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“But here we are. I have goosebumps. It can’t get any better than this.
“I’m going to be 40 this year. I can’t box forever but I have had an amazing career. I have achieved my dreams. I’ve lived beyond my dreams.”
Taylor will face undefeated but little-known French fighter Flora Pili at Croke Park on September 5th in the first boxing extravaganza in Croker since Muhammad Ali defeated Al “Blue” Lewis here in 1972. There’s talk of a big singing act too. Maybe Ed Sheeran? “I haven’t heard,” laughed Taylor. “I know there’s rumours of Westlife, but I don’t know if that’s the reality, either.”
“It will be an event, more than a boxing card,” said Peters. “I don’t know what you will compare it to – some of you guys are too young to remember the pope coming to Ireland ...”
Seated beside Pili at the top table was Peter McKenna, Croke Park’s stadium and commercial director. For years, McKenna and Hearn had found themselves on opposite sides of negotiations over the costs of staging the fight. That’s all behind them now. Turning towards Hearn, McKenna praised his passionate commitment to the project and paid tribute to Taylor.
“She is without doubt the greatest Irish sportsperson of all time,” he said. “We’re mighty proud that we have this fight in Croke Park.”
He said the stadium had hoped the stars would align and was delighted they finally had. “We’re going to do our best to make it a spectacular evening,” he added.
McKenna acknowledged the role of veteran promoter Peter Aiken, describing him as a “long-time friend” of the stadium. And Aiken’s presence at the top table felt significant, the final piece of the jigsaw in getting the fight night over the line. Peters had brought him on board. “We go way back,” Peters said, recalling previous promotions involving himself and Aiken’s late father Jim, including Wayne McCullough fights in Belfast and the old Point (now the 3Arena). “I just thought this was something different.”
Hearn had his own inimitable take. “When we first got the costs of Croke Park, we probably came in and left and thought, ‘are we having our pants pulled down here?’” he recalled. “When we brought Peter in, he said, ‘I’ve done many shows with Croke Park, this is the cost, we can do this, let’s try this,’ and helped us make sure to model it as best we could.
“Everybody has to put their balls on the line to make this happen. I did it because I love Katie Taylor, and I wanted to. He did it because, one, he believes in the event but, two, he wants to be part of history as well.
“He’s a Katie Taylor fan, so he’s come on board to say, ‘let’s get it over the line, how can I and Aiken Promotions help?’ They understand the market and the venue better than anybody. Katie Taylor is going on a four-day bus tour all over Ireland. You’re going to see her everywhere. I like to think that I understand Irish fight fans really well, but he understands the people bit because he’s one of them.”
Later, when exiting the stadium via the main entrance, the coach that will carry Taylor from Bray to Belfast and from Limerick to Galway was parked up.
The business of selling tickets is about to start, but filling 82,000 seats doesn’t feel like a long shot now.
